Method and apparatus for cleaning spinning devices for the manufacture of artificialthreads



y 23, a ELSAESSER ET AL 1,721,591

, METHOD AND APPARATIUS FOR CLEANING SPINNING DEVICES FOR THE IANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL THREADS Filed April 8, 1924 y 7. v Big. 3

Jmvenfar g E7. :E'Zswss 1v Patented Jul 23,1929.

f UNITED STATES PiATENT oFFlcE.

- :1 or ammz-nanenarun, AND HUBEBT 1mm, of 3mm,-

ASSIGNOBS, BY IESNE ASSIGNMENTS, 'ro AMERICAN BEHBEBG con.-

IOBATION, A. CORPORATION 01 nmon m arrnm'rus iron cmmnme srmnmenavrcas FOB mm moreomunn or An'rnqcm manners,

Application med s urs, 1924, Serial Io.

- During the spinning of artificial silk from I copper oxide ammonia cellulose solutions, cop hydroxide deposits are separated of! in t a spinning device,more particularly at 5 the outflow pipe of the 'spmnin'g nozzle. These deposits offer a resistance to the bunchof threads drawn through, which may easily cause threads to break. Hitherto it has been necessary temporarily'to stop the machine or at least the separate spinnin'g-devicesun order to clean the pipe.

According to the invention this cleaning may beeflected during working without it being necessary to interrupt the spinning operation and consequently break the thread.

A cleaning fluid is caused to flow at a suitable point into the spinningnozzle' or at the tapered'lower outlet-of the same, which fluid dissolves the copper. hydroxide. A

suitable cleaning fluid is a dilute acid, .for

" instance sulphuric acid of 10%. This fluid entersj at a'pressure slightly exceeding that of the precipitating fluid in the spinning device.

A spinning device suitable for carrying out the cleamng method'just described may be constructed in such a manner that the spinning nozzle is connected by a se' arate pipe at a suitable point to the vessel or the cleaning fluid. The requisite excess pressure of the dim fluid may be obtamed by placing the said vessel in an elevated position. It ma also be obtained by raising the vessel only or the period, during whichthe cleaning fluid is to flow through. This ren-' ders cocks in the supply pipe superfluous. The vessel may on the other hand he placed 7 so low that only as-much fluid can be withdrawn at a'time as has been poured into the vessel above a ceitain level.

If a deposit is only formed at the bottom of the outlet of the spinning nozzle, it is suflicient to introduce the cleaning fluid at the bottom. If, however, there is a deposit higher up, the cleaning fluid would be econ omized by connecting the supply pipe;s01ne-; what higher, so that the cleaning fluid must not first be driven upwards in counter-flow, 'butcan simply flow downwards through the nozzle. p

In the accompanying drawing five com 10am, main mam October 7, 192a.

'zle and w the supply vessel for the. precipitating fluid, which is connected by suction pipes S to the separate spinning devices. The-precipitating fluid flows through the outlet pipe t at a velocity, which corresponds to the difference in pressure between the outflow opening of t and the level of the liluid in the -vessel w. Above the place ere the copper hydroxide is deposited, a lateral pipe a is provided, which supplies cleaning fluid, for instance 10% sulphuric acid, from a vessel 6. Q

Various Ways may be adopted for using the vessel 6 and forconnecting it to the spinning nozzle '0 or the outlet t of the same: (1) The acid is in a vessel 6, Fig. 1, which is located at about the level of the upper edge of thespinning nozzle. At h is a cock, which is kept open until the copper deposit has been dissolved. I

(2) The acid vessel 5, Fig. 2 is placed so low that the level of the fluid is the same as the level in the vessel 10. In this case no acid flows through the pipe 0. If the pipe a be madeflexible. and the vessel 6 be s'omeiv'vhat i raised, so that the level of the acid contained therein is above the-level in the vessel 'w,. acid will flow down through a as long as there isa difi'erence in the level. When the copper deposited is dissolved, the vessel 1) is lowered again'to its 'old position and the v flow of acid will cease. A cock for stopping the flow of the acid is in this case super- .fluou's. I

A'vessel b, Fi'. 3, is fixed in'such a manner that, when a ut halffull of acid, the level of the fluid bis the.same as the level in the vessel w. On more acid being caused to flow. into the vessel 1) from a reservoir, the said acid will at once flow through a, as the levelin is raised, owing to the addition of fresh acid. As soon'as no more acid is added, the level in b immediately assumes the same level as that in w and the flow of acid'cease's.

S14) The cleaning fluid flowsin as in- Fig.

1 t. rough thepipe a, which is provided with ing the spinning device.

'point of the nozzle.

fectively seep over all those nozzle, on which deposits are liable to be a cock h, Fig. 4. The pipe a is introduced laterally into the pipe 8, which. enters above the tapered part 6 of the nozzle, This pipe can of course be connected at any other On the cock lb being opened the cleaning fluid will flow in, will mix with-the precipitating fluid and will efparts of the formed.

(5) The spinning device shown in Fig. 5 shows a tapered nozzle within a cylindrical part F. The precipitating fluid enters through a pipe (1 at the bottom of the cylindrical part, rises in the latter and falls into the tapered part e. This s inning device has already been described, or instance in German Patent 220,051. In'this case the cleaning fluid is supplied through a pipe (2 having a cock h in such a manner that the two fluids are already. mixed before enter- In this case as well the pipe may be connected elsewhere.

1,; When the entire tapered part of the noz 1 31216 is to be cleaned, it is necessary in the yarrangementsshown in Figs. 4 and 5 to interrupt the spinning operation during the "cleaning period, which causes the threads to break. This, however, lasts for one minute at the most and causes no appreciable harm. i

In the constructional example shown in Ijigs. 4 and 5 cleaning. fluid is economized when the entire nozzle is to be cleaned;

j-IA- further; advantage is that the cleaning operation is carried out more rapidly. L What we claim is 1.,That method of cleaning spinning ole vices employed in the manufacture of artificial silk threads without necessarily interrupting the passage of the threads through" said device which consists in 'introducing into the spin ing device and into the setting fluid passing herethrou h, a fluid capable of dissolving deposits ormed in therethrough;

the spinning device; and allowing such intermingled fluids to pass outwardly from the spinning device.

2. That method of cleaning spinning devices employed in the manufacture of ar'tificial silk threads from copper oxide ammonia cellulose solutions without necessarily interrupting the passage of the threads through said device, which consists in introducing sulphuric acidinto the spinning device while precipitating fluid is flowing 3. That method of cleaning spinning devices employed in the manufacture'of artificial silk threads from copper oxide ammonia cellulose solutions without necessarily interrupting the passage of the threads through said device, which consistsin introducing dilute sulphuric acid into the spinbination of a spinning nozzle; means for introducing a setting fluid for the threads into said nozzle; a vessel located exteriorly of the nozzle and adaptedto containa cleaning fluid; and aflexiblepipe connecting said vessel with the spinning nozzle whereby when the vessel is elevated liquid may flow 'from'said vessel into the nozzle and when lowered such flow will be cut ofi.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification. I

' EMIL ELSAESSER. HUBERT KEMIF. 

